Now that Bob Dylan has finally picked up this year’s Nobel Prize in literature, we revisit essays written by previous Nobel laureates. From winners of the Peace Prize, to honorees in the sciences and literature, these essayists offer thought-provoking views on their lives and the world.

1. An Ideal of Service to Our Fellow Man
2. God Is God Because He Remembers
3. Roll Away the Stone
4. The Tense Middle
5. Old Creeds In A New World
6. When Ordinary People Achieve Extraordinary Things
7. Life Grows in the Soil of Time

They keep our secrets, challenge our thinking and sometimes frustrate us terribly. But best friends are the people we know we can count on to be there with us through good times and bad. Click the links below to read how these essayists found their beliefs in a relationship with a special friend.

1. The Friend That Makes Me Complete
2. We Will Get Through This Together
3. The Deepest Sources Of Joy
4. The Friends Who Opened My Heart
5. The Faith That Brings Me Peace

Most everyone says they’re for justice even if we can’t always agree on what exactly constitutes it. Is justice best defined morally or legally? How much is it rooted in fairness and equity? Who deserves it and who dispenses it? Click the links below to read how these essayists struggled with these questions as they developed their beliefs.

1. The Real Consequences of Justice
2. The Greatest of All Virtues
3. Everyone Deserves Defense
4. Doing Justice One Person at a Time
5. One Measure of Justice and Equality

In honor of millions of African Americans who have struggled through the centuries to fight for justice, fairness, and equality, we are featuring the stories of pioneers who blazed the path for civil rights, as well as others who continue to consider the role of race in America today.

1. Standing Up to Injustice
2. Free Minds and Hearts at Work
3. Looking At Life Through Another’s Eyes
4. Leaving Identity Issues to Other Folks
5. A Duty To Heal
6. Being Content with Myself

The brave men and women who serve as police officers, firefighters, EMTs and emergency room personnel help us at some of our most vulnerable moments. Their experiences can inspire a deep reflection on life that leads them to some compelling beliefs. Click the links below to explore what these first responders believe about their work.

1. The Passion to Volunteer
2. More Than a Job
3. Connecting with My Patients
4. Doing Something with My Life
5. To Be the Best Humans We Can Be

A number of prominent African-Americans were featured on Edward R. Murrow’s original This I Believe radio series. Their words helped build momentum for the civil rights movement in the years leading up to the Montgomery bus boycott, lunch-counter sit-ins and the march on Washington. Click the links below to hear their inspiring words.

1. All or Nothing
2. The Birthright of Human Dignity
3. Looking at Life Through Another’s Eyes
4. God Is the Father of All Men
5. Free Minds and Hearts at Work
6. The Courage to Change the Things I Can

Whether a true historically fabricated diner, or just a down-home restaurant that serves pie and coffee at the counter, the diner is a place where people take a break from daily life and find a bit of humanity. So order a stack of pancakes and a cup of coffee—and enjoy these beliefs inspired by gathering at the diner.

1. Peace Begins With One Person
2. At Moni’s Grill
3. Making It Up as I Go Along
4. Do Talk to Strangers
5. Remembering the Past at Waffle House

Several cultures around the world celebrate festivals or holidays to observe the act of being thankful. Historically, people gave thanks for a bountiful harvest, but today, many individuals consider it important to express appreciation for what one has on a daily basis. As we head into a new year, click the links below to learn how others have cultivated lifelong beliefs from the emotions of gratitude, thankfulness, and gratefulness.

1. Happy With What I Have
2. The Act of Giving Thanks
3. Paying Attention to the Silver Lining
4. The Learning Curve of Gratitude
5. Saying Thank You

As with any faith tradition, it can sometimes be a challenge for Muslims to balance one’s religious practices with one’s beliefs and the obligations of daily life. Click the links below to learn how these Muslims integrate their spiritual and secular lives.

1. We Are Each Other’s Business
2. Celebrating Our Dreams and Flaws
3. The Test of Life
4. My Pride, Their Prejudice
5. Ingredients to a Richer Personality
6. The Right to Be Fully American

Whether it’s good versus evil, us against them, left versus right, paper or plastic, regular or decaf, we seem to live in an age that values polarization. But whatever happened to the good old middle ground, the place where diverse people can come together in a sense of unity? Click the links below to read how these essayists believe some middle ground can still be found.

1. The Tense Middle
2. The Value of the Middle
3. Finding One’s Own Middle Ground
4. The 50-Percent Theory of Life
5. In Praise of the ‘Wobblies’